Solar and electrical contractor in Skennars Head, NSW
Working across Skennars Head
Skennars Head is a small coastal locality, about 7 kilometres from Ballina and close to the southern edge of Lennox Head. It takes its name from the headland, which was named after John Skenner, who selected the land in the 1840s. Around 1,300 people lived here at the 2021 census, which is why so many homes are on newer streets such as Headlands Drive and Isabella Drive. Sharpes Beach and Boulder Beach sit just off the Coast Road and Rocky Point Road.
Skennars Head streets are wider and more regular than the older village of Lennox Head next door, and most homes have a double garage and a driveway that takes a van. The meter box is typically set into the front fence or the side of the garage, and the switchboard is often just inside the garage door. Some homes are townhouses or units in strata schemes, where the meters sit in a shared enclosure and the body corporate needs to know a contractor is coming.
Many Skennars Head homes are recent, so the wiring is newer and the switchboards generally have room for extra circuits. The roofs are large and unshaded, often two storeys and open to the sea wind, which suits solar and a battery. Being on the headland means the wind carries salt, so outdoor equipment, brackets and cable glands need to be chosen and fixed with that in mind, and we check them rather than assume.
What we do here most
What Skennars Head homes keep needing
Most calls here are from recent homes that want to do more with their roof, and from outdoor fittings that sit in the wind off the sea.
Solar
Adding panels to a two storey home
A recent two storey house has plenty of roof, but getting to it takes planning. We look at the pitch, the edge height and where a safe access point sits before we quote. If the roof has a small system on it already, we check how much the switchboard and the existing wiring can take before we add anything.
Batteries
Battery added to an existing solar system
A household with solar already on the roof often wants to use more of it after dark. We check where the battery would go in a double garage, how far it is from the switchboard and the inverter, and whether the existing setup can work with a battery at all. Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes the inverter needs to change.
Electrical
Townhouse circuits behind a shared meter enclosure
In a townhouse or unit scheme, the meters can be grouped in one enclosure at the front, with the switchboard inside the unit. If one unit loses power, we first work out whether the problem is inside the unit or out at the shared point. We then talk to the body corporate about anything that belongs to the whole scheme.
Repairs
Outdoor lights and sockets on a headland wind
Outdoor lights, power points and conduit on a headland home take wind, rain and salt, and the seals fail first. Water gets in behind a fitting, and the circuit trips the safety switch. We dry out and test the circuit, replace the failed fitting with one suited to outdoor use, and point out others on the same wall that are about to go.
If it is urgent
If the power fails at a Skennars Head home
- 1Look at the safety switches and main switch on your switchboard, without opening any covers, and check whether it is only your house or the whole street without power.
- 2Leave alone any outdoor light, socket or conduit that looks wet or has water behind it, and do not reset a safety switch again and again when it keeps dropping.
- 3When you call, tell us your street, whether the home is a house or part of a strata scheme, and what happened just before the power went off.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which areas do you cover?
The Northern Rivers of New South Wales, from our base at Dorroughby, between Lismore and Byron Bay. Twenty places have their own pages on the service areas page, but they are a starting point rather than a boundary. If you are not sure we reach your address, call and we will check.
Do you answer the phone after hours?
Yes. The phone is answered at any hour, every day, on the number at the top of this page. Call with your address and what you are seeing, and we will tell you what to leave alone and what happens next.
Do you work on farms and businesses as well as homes?
Yes. The work runs from a single house roof to sheds, workshops, shops and farm buildings, on mains power and off it. Tell us what the building is used for and when it is busy, because that decides when the work can happen.
What should I send when I enquire?
A photo of your switchboard with the door open, a photo of the roof or the spot where equipment would go, and a recent power bill if you have one. If you already have a system, add a photo of the inverter and any error on its screen. Photos let us give you straight answers before anyone visits.
Will my solar keep working in a blackout?
A standard grid-connected system switches itself off when the grid goes down, even in full sun, and that is a safety feature. To keep some power on during an outage, the system needs a battery set up with a backup circuit. Which circuits go on that backup is decided with you before the work starts.
Can I add a battery to the solar I already have?
Often yes, but it depends on the inverter you have now and how the system is wired. Some inverters take a battery as it is, and others need replacing or adding to first. Send a photo of the inverter and we will tell you which it is likely to be.
What is the difference between grid-connected, hybrid and off-grid?
A grid-connected system works alongside the street supply and has no battery. A hybrid system uses one inverter to run the panels and a battery together. An off-grid system has no street connection at all, so the panels, battery and a backup generator input carry the whole property.
Can you work on a system someone else installed?
Yes. The first step is finding out exactly what is there, which means opening the switchboard, checking the cabling and reading what the inverter reports. After that we tell you what can stay, what should be repaired and what should be replaced.
Why does my solar system keep switching off or showing an error?
There are many possible causes, from a failing part to a loose connection or a fault on one string of panels. We trace the fault step by step and read the error codes before anything is replaced. Send a photo of the inverter screen and tell us when it happens.
What should I do if I see damage or smell burning near electrical equipment?
Keep clear of it and keep children and pets away. If there is fire or smoke, call emergency services first. Then call us, tell us what you saw and where, and leave the equipment alone until it has been checked.
Will the power go off while you work?
For most solar, battery and switchboard jobs the power is switched off for part of the day. We tell you when it will go off before we start, so you can plan around fridges, medical equipment and anything else that needs to keep running. Ask about it when you book.
Do you work on properties with no mains power?
Yes. Off-grid work starts with a list of what you run and when, because that decides the size of the panels, the battery and the inverter. We also look at the site itself, including shade, access and how far the equipment sits from the house.
Everything we do here
Services in Skennars Head, NSW
The twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers include a lot of solar, battery and outdoor electrical work that suits the larger roofs and open, windy sites of Skennars Head.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Skennars Head
Tell us whether your home is a house or part of a strata scheme, and how many storeys the roof is. That decides how we reach the roof and who we need to talk to before we start.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead